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Tense week for Chalmers and Allenby

Ben Everill

Australian veterans Greg Chalmers and Robert Allenby face a tense week at the US PGA final regular season event, where they fight for a place in the playoffs and a tour card for next season.

Everything is on the line, with the top 125 players on the season long points list following the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina getting a place in the playoffs, and playing privileges for the 2014-15 season.

Allenby comes into the event at 122nd and could technically stay inside the mark even with a missed cut, but he'd be relying heavily on others.

The Victorian knows a made cut and decent finish should be enough to make it through to next week.

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"I am hitting the ball very well and my game all feels good," Allenby said.

"I know what has to be done now. It's just a matter of going out there and doing it."

If the 43-year-old slides out of the mix, he will still qualify for the secondary tour playoffs, where 25 tour cards are up for grabs. Should he miss out there, he could use a lifetime money-earning exemption to return next season.

Chalmers has no such luxury, meaning his job for next year is on the line in the next few weeks.

At 128th on the list the West Australian must make the cut and find a way high enough up the leaderboard to leapfrog a handful of players, or battle it out in the secondary playoffs.

"Greg has been swinging it great for so long this year but just hasn't managed to turn the good rounds into great rounds. But I am still very confident he will get it done this week," Chalmers' coach Col Swatton said.

"He has been in this position before and has come through it. I expect him to push his way into the first playoff event and then possibly even get a run going."

Chalmers has had a handful of opportunities to sew things up in recent weeks after hot starts but poor stretches have cruelled him.

In his past four stroke play events he averages 67.75 in the opening round but drops to 70.75 in round two and 73.25 in the third round, seeing him waste golden chances for points.

Swatton admitted the team was exploring potential reasons for this, such as his practice being dropped back in event weeks to keep him fresh, and they are even looking at his rest and recovery habits after rounds.

Steven Bowditch (51st on points), Aaron Baddeley (97th) and Stuart Appleby (98th) tee up this week looking to boost their seeding heading into the playoffs, while Bronson La'Cassie (185th) needs a win if he is to make the playoffs in his rookie season.

Adam Scott, Jason Day, John Senden, Matt Jones, Marc Leishman and Geoff Ogilvy are Australians not in the field this week who have secured playoff berths.